Shrek SuperSlam

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The big green ogre and friends aspire to be the next Super Smash Bros., but fall short of the mark. Full review.

By Matt Casamassina

From Activision and Shaba Games comes Shrek SuperSlam for GameCube, PlayStation 2 and Xbox. This colorful 3D fighter attempts to marry the lovable characters and recognizable locations from the Shrek franchise with the four-player-friendly brawl mechanics of Nintendo's hit Super Smash Bros. series. In some ways, SuperSlam is a success. Where presentation is concerned, it hits the mark, providing a wealth of playable fighters, each sporting humorous personalities ripped directly from the movies. But although Shrek himself packs a big punch, the fighting mechanics of the title fall short of their aspirations, especially when multiple characters crowd the screen. The end result is a brawler that's often mildly fun despite its flaws, but also one that is probably only suited to Shrek-a-holics and younger gamers.

SuperSlam is of course designed to be at its best with multiple gamers (whether or not it actually is, we believe, is something open to debate), but it boasts a short, but well-crafted single-player mode all the same. The offering even comes complete with a humorous storyline that successfully capitalizes on the traits of such beloved Shrek characters as Donkey, Puss in Boots, Princess Fiona, Gingerbread Man, Prince Charming and Pinocchio. Through well implemented in-game cut-scenes we learn that Donkey has invited his friends over to watch some television, but that his little Dronkeys (dragon donkeys) just won't go to sleep. Shrek and pals decide to make up bedtime stories to lull them to sleep. These tales comprise the setups for a batch of fights to follow. Activision and Shaba Games have not used the original celebrity talent to provide voices for their in-game characters, but impressionists convincingly get the job done. There were numerous times when we smiled or chuckled during the progression of the short single-player game, which is a testament to the presentation.

The single player mode can be whipped through in about 20 minutes, but luckily the title also features unique and sometimes entertaining Mega Challenges to extend the experience for individual gamers. In this mode, players move Shrek around a virtual game board and compete in various mini-games and conventional fights. There are some 45 Mega Challenges to go through and they are for the most part fairly original in what they ask players to do. For instance, in one, Puss and Boots might need to keep an object away from an opponent for 45 seconds. In another, the goal might simply be to perform more slams on enemies than they do gamers. The Mega Challenges are decidedly shallow in design and each has run its course in a couple minutes or less, but they are nevertheless engaging while they last. Completionists will be required to play through this mode to unlock additional characters and fighting arenas that can then be utilized in the other modes.

SuperSlam's fight arenas and mechanics seem to be influenced by both the Power Stone and Super Smash Bros. franchises, both of which are superior. Shrek and pals have all the right ingredients. A cast of more than 20 unique and oftentimes ridiculous characters. A wealth of some 16 destructible fight arenas, each completely different in theme and many ripped directly from the Shrek universe. And most importantly, pick-up-and-fight control mechanics that emphasize simple combos and big SuperSlams, which are more or less the equivalent of smashes in Nintendo's brawler. So sure enough, Shrek has its moments of frantic fighting goodness, especially as players become familiar with some of the control intricacies. The game successfully defuses button mashing by infusing strategic combo, blocking and wall-jumping attacks, and there's no doubt that bouncing off a castle bridge and bashing an opponent into a nearby structure, which crumbles upon impact, is fun and entertaining.

There are some key differences which separate the good SuperSlam from the outstanding Smash Bros, though. The first is control responsiveness. Every character in Nintendo's brawler is ultra responsive and able to move about the arenas with a quickness and agility that makes possible precision fighting. In contrast, just about every fighter in SuperSlam is more sluggishly maneuvered through the arenas and oftentimes character animations prevent immediate reactions, which can be frustrating. Just as integral is that in Super Smash Bros., the framerate never dips, even with multiple characters on the screen. In Shrek's world, however, the fluidity takes a hit with multiple characters fighting, which adds to the overall disappointingly sluggish feeling and in turn makes the multiplayer offering -- what should be the fighter's biggest draw -- less appealing.

None of this is to suggest that SuperSlam is a failure as a fighter because that's not true. Despite these shortcomings, it's still enjoyable. But it is not nearly as controllable or polished as the games it seeks to imitate, and that is too bad.

Shrek fans will undoubtedly be pleased with SuperSlam's visual presentation. The title accurately recreates famous Shrek characters right down to the warts on the ogre's face and the cookie lines on the Gingerbread Man's body. Meanwhile, the models animate fluidly and usually humorously. But in our opinion it's the environments themselves, which crash apart and transform throughout the fights, which are most impressive, as they display a level of interactivity uncommon in brawlers.

The Verdict

Shrek SuperSlam is a good 3D fighter that could have been a great one had more time been spent developing and polishing the control mechanics. The game successfully captures the style and spirit of the Shrek franchise, and delivers players a good helping of fighters and locations for brawling. Meanwhile, the presentation -- from sometimes humorous storyline to graphics and collectibles -- gets the job done. But it's obvious from the first minute of play time that SuperSlam aspires to copy Super Smash Bros., and a general lack of character responsiveness and a sometimes jittery framerate with multiple characters onscreen limits the fighter's potential.

Shrek-a-holics and kid gamers may want to check this one out. Everybody else would be better served with a list of other fighters.